The Girl from Omega
by TheFallenSpectre
Summary: Aria T'loak is the woman in charge of Omega, but when a new group called Cerberus makes it's presence known she calls on a working girl from her club in order to infiltrate the organisation. Jane Shepard is that woman, born in the slums of Omega and having never joined the alliance.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N It's a new story. The idea came to me last night so I had start writing it before it left. All in all I'm very pleased with it. I realise I'm now writing two different stories at the same time. There will be updates from both. So just sit back and enjoy**

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Sleep is for the wasted. In Aria's mind sleep was a useless necessity; she of course didn't need it, the perks of being an Asari. If needs be she could stay up for several weeks at a time before she actually needed to sleep, a by product of the Asari metabolic rate. But unfortunately those that worked for her did need it, which therefore meant more staff, one night shift and one day shift, even more liabilities to be accounted for. They all added up, not everyone could be trusted of course. But then again what do you expect from the people of Omega. There were only a few people Aria trusted and that trust only lasted while the money was good. For those that betrayed that trust they would never be able to gain it back. If there's one thing the people of Omega knew it was this, you don't fuck with Aria and recently someone had broken that one rule.

It had all started a week earlier; rumours had been flowing about a new mercenary group that had set up shop somewhere on Omega. The name that followed these rumours was Cerberus. If there's one thing you do before you set up shop is you see Aria. If you don't have her support, shall we say, then you don't last long. In a click of her fingers you'll be leaving Omega out of an airlock. This was not the case with Cerberus, they came to see Aria. But the two headed dog always has ulterior motives, it came with offers of peace and this is where we join them.

_"__Aria will see you now human."_ The batarian guard roughly brought him into Arias private room in Afterlife. Never turning his back on the unknown quantity. If anything happened to Aria, not only would he not be paid but he might found himself without oxygen. Money is always worth someone's loyalty.

_"__About time" _Declared the human. If there was one thing humans weren't known for then it was their patience. Being new to the galaxy they were seen as bullies, who expanded quickly and never let anything get in their way. The Relay 314 Incident had only made this ridiculous trait stronger. Within the private area of Afterlife Aria hid away, as the de facto ruler of Omega she controlled and commanded from the club. Her throne was that of a red leather couch; only the very privileged were allowed to sit on it. So far only one person has. She was rarely seen away from her couch, always sat on it looking over some new data, or addressing her employees.

_ "__Welcome Petrovsky. Have you come to beg?" _If Aria was guilty of one thing then it was definitely her abrupt nature. There's no point hiding what you really want behind words, it makes transactions twice as long and only wastes time.

_"__Cerberus does not beg and neither do I.__We've been told that we need to see you." _Contempt was clearly recognised within his voice, a xenophobe most likely. From the state of his uniform he believed in a strict regime, every crease had been removed and any stain that could have been there was gone. The white shined brilliantly and matched the gold of his medals.

_"__Cerberus will do exactly what I want it to do, if it wishes to remain on Omega. What is your purpose here?"_

_ "__Our purpose, what purpose does a mercenary group usually have? We only wish to join the fight, we are a purely human group who are willing to do anything for the right reasons."_

_ "__Hmmph, that'll get you somewhere I suppose. Show him out."_

With that command the Batarian led the Petrovsky out of Afterlife leaving Aria to think over this new group. The prospect of another mercenary group of Omega wasn't promising. There was already three and each of them had it out for the other. The Blue Suns, a mix of Turians, Humans and Batarians seemed to be dominant at the moment, their numbers seemed to swell every week. They were operated mainly in the Skyllian verge as a private security organisation, but everybody knows they're really mercenaries. The next group are the Eclipse, more brains than brawn. Preferring to use stealth and more intelligent ways. They tend to have more cutting edge equipment and weaponry, plus the fact that practically every member is a biotic. Their members tend to be Asari, Human and even the occasionally Salarian. The final group are the Blood Pack. The most violent of the three groups, made up of Krogan and Vorcha. If all you need was brute force these would be the ones to go for.

Adding a fourth group to this could turn out in to a war between the mercenary groups. If they went of planet and settled there differences then everything would be fine, but Aria knew they would not. When it came to Omega they all wanted it for themselves, of course this would never be allowed.

_"__Bray, get in here."_

It didn't take long for a Batarian to walk in, fully armoured with a heavy pistol strapped to his side and an assault rifle on his back. He was Aria's second in command, if she trusted anyone then it could be said that Bray was that man. He knew more about her operations than anybody else, not everything of course. No one could be trusted with everything, there's always a chance of betrayal even by those that seem loyal. For the most part though Bray was loyal, you can always expect a bit of disloyalty. Everybody skimmed from the profits not too much, but enough that Aria doesn't mind.

_"__I take it you were listening."_

_ "__Of course."_

_ "__What did you make of it?"_

_ "__Bull shit. I wouldn't trust him, not even with a Vorcha. Something about him doesn't ring true."_

_ "__I agree. Have him followed and keep the Cerberus base under watch. One more thing, bring the leaders of the Blue Suns, Eclipse and Blood Pack here. I need to have a word with them."_

With a quick nod of his head Bray left, leaving Aria to her own devices. She didn't have anything else pressing to do, so she called for entertainment. What's the point in being Queen if you can't have some fun? As she waited she went over the meeting with Petrovsky in her head, Bray was right something didn't feel right and she just couldn't figure out what. As she was stuck in her thoughts her entertainment arrived, she'd had her eye on this new dancer in her club, a human of all creatures. She knew her name of course, she knew the name of everybody who worked for her, but at that moment she couldn't bring it to mind. There was just something about this human that made her go crazy. What was it about her? No one else on Omega had ever held Aria's attention as much as she did, but she was captivated by this human. Not even the money or power of Omega could hold her attention this much.

_"__Come here…Shepard." _She may not have remembered at first glance but when it came down to it she always knew her name. Jane Shepard, just another human from Omega. Her parents lived in the slums; her father was a junkie permanently high on red sand and her mother was a merc. Joined the Eclipse when Jane was in her teens, she always came by to see Jane when she was on Omega and always made sure she was well cared for. On Jane's eighteenth birthday here mother came home for the last time. It appeared that the only reason she came home was for her, she had lost all hope in her husband along time ago. She came back that final time to give Jane her inheritance so to speak, enough money to afford her own place and move away from her father, enough to last her until she could make money for herself and then she was gone. Never heard from again. Sad really, but that's the way of life on Omega, you never know when it's your time to go. The only other thing that she left her was the family heirloom a necklace handed down the generations from mother to daughter, predating the discovery of the Mass Relays.

After her eighteenth she quickly took up her mother's advice and found somewhere in a nicer area, but not by much, but it was a place she could call her own. From there she quickly found herself a job at Afterlife. All it took was for her to dance for Aria. For anybody else who saw the audition they would say that Jane had two left feet and she did her dancing was terrible, but she wouldn't admit that. It was only Aria that saw something within that movement, something that grabbed her very soul. It was the only reason she was hired. Not allowed to dance for anyone but Aria, not even used as a prostitute, she remained pure. She served drinks behind the bar and she quickly became the best bartender in Afterlife. The people always came for more, she had the recognition she deserved, if you wanted the best. This only added to her charm for Aria, she brought in a lot of revenue for the club and entertainment for Aria.

On Aria's command Jane moved towards the seat that was offered to her. As she sat down Aria triggered a switch on the table in front which turned tinted the windows so no one could see in. It was these quiet moments with Shepard that Aria looked forward to, at least once a day she would permit herself to enjoy the company of this woman. As Jane sat down Aria placed an arm around the slender woman and pulled her close. Over the weeks that Jane had been working their they had become quite close, not close enough for Aria to fill her in on everything, but close enough that they share these moments together, where one is wrapped in the others arms. The moments didn't last long, but it was what they both needed. There were always interruptions, something always came up. It was in this moment that Aria came up with her plan of action; the only problem was that it would mean putting Jane in danger. That was the one thing, she wasn't sure she was prepared to do. She'd done it thousands of times before but Jane was different, Jane was hers.

_"__Jane, I want you to do something for me, but I don't think your going to like it."_

_ "__What is it Aria?"_

_ "__There's a new mercenary group on Omega, which are up to no good. They're more than just a mercenary group and I'm not sure what. I'd like for you to join them and provide information on them for me."_

_ "__That sounds dangerous, I'm not sure I'm cut out for that."_

_ "__That you may not be Jane, but I can provide training for you and at least get you ready for them. I won't force you to do this Jane, but you're the only one I trust to do this for me."_

_ "__If you can give me the training I suppose I can give it a try. If you need me to do it, then it must be important. When do I start?"_

_ "__I'll let you know, I need to make a few arrangements first. I need to get started, you don't mind if I cut this short?"_

_ "__Not at all, let me know when I can help."_

Before Jane could get of the couch Aria brought her in closer and planted her lips against Jane's, who willingly accepted Aria's touch. As Jane's tongue struck out against those purple lips Aria relented and allowed her tongue access to her mouth. It was Aria who pushed Jane onto her back and took the dominant seat. With their bodies crushing against the other, it didn't take both woman long to pick up a sweat. They carried on in this position for several moments, neither wanting to break contact first. But it was Aria who finally relented, picking herself up of the couch and standing straight up, she brought her hand down to Jane and helped her stand up. Once Jane was back on her feet they quickly embraced one final time before she left. Even after Jane had left Aria was stood transfixed to that spot, still trying to figure out what it was about the human that made her go so wild. She didn't stay with that topic for long, there was work to be done. She opened up her omni-tool and honed into the frequency that held Brays secure communicator. After several long seconds of silence he answered.

_"__Aria, I've managed to get the Blood Pack and the Blue Suns to your meeting."_

_ "__And the Eclipse?"_

_ "__They're proofing to be a bit difficult. They'll only speak to you."_

_ "__Patch me through to their comms Bray."_

_ "__Your patched in."_

_ "__Jona, what seems to be the problem?"_

_ "__I will not take orders from your underlings Aria. If you want me then you need ask yourself. Your lackeys will not suffice."_

_ "__Fine, you've heard what my lackey has to say I take it."_

_ "__Of course."_

_ "__Then you'll be here at the prescribed time."_

_ "__I'll be there."_

_ "__Good. Bray make your way back."_

Jona Sederis, the founder of the Eclipse, always such a charmer. Wanted on nearly every planet in Citadel Space for nearly every crime possible. The Asari had everything she needed when she founded the Eclipse. The daughter of a Justicar she went under the same training as her mother, until the day she wanted to join a mercenary company instead. Which she did, some unknown company way out on Thessia, the first job she was sent on was a simple heist. When they found what they were looking for she turned on her comrades and took the prize for herself. After trading it in she formed the Eclipse and ever since then they've become one of the biggest mercenary groups out there. If it wasn't for the fact that they had made a home on Omega Aria would never had anything to do with them. The same could be true about the other merc groups, but Omega wouldn't be the same if they weren't there.

It took longer than Aria liked for Bray to reach the club, if it had been someone else they would have found themselves suddenly slamming into the wall, but she didn't have time for that. He made his way into Aria's private booth and presented himself. A satisfied look on his face that he had managed to do exactly what she had wanted. Little did he know that she was furious with him, not for just being late, but also for what she was about to say. She couldn't take it on herself, or even Jane, it would have to be Bray even if he didn't know why. She brought him forwards and activated a program on her omni-tool which would reach out to all the scanning and listening devices within her booth and silence them temporarily. She didn't want the Shadow Broker to find out what she was up to. When she was satisfied that they were all of she informed Bray of her idea.

_"__It'll work Bray, it'll have to. It's the only opportunity we have to find out what's happening."_

_ "__I'm just not sure the other merc groups will be happy about it. Once they find out about Cerberus they're going to unite and stamp at any opposition."_

_ "__We'll see to it that they don't. We'll need to get Jona on our side, if we can get her to see straight about this then she'll be able to convince the others. Plus I need her to do something for me."_

The next day the merc leaders had gathered in Aria's private room, they were all nervous since the last time they had been together no doubt one of them was trying to kill the other. If it hadn't been for Aria summoning them they wouldn't have come at all, instead they would most likely have killed the messenger. Only Aria was seated the rest of them new their place.

_"__Why have you brought us here Aria?" _Naturally it was the leader of the Blood Pack that spoke first. Krogan don't do very well when it comes diplomacy, as long as they get to kill they're fine.

_"__To talk, there's a new merc group on Omega. Cerberus."_

_ "__What do you know about them?" _Jona always the thinker.

_"__So far only what I was told when they came to see me. Apparently there a new merc group made up of only humans. But I don't believe any of it, something didn't sit right about the man that came to see me, he was definitely hiding something."_

_ "__So what do you want us to do?"_

_ "__Nothing."_

_ "__You can't expect us to not do anything Aria, this new group needs to go, Omega belongs to us."_

_ "__Wrong Jona, I do expect you to do nothing as I've already got a plan in motion. And Omega is mine, don't you ever forget that."_

_ "__Fine, what's your plan?"_

_ "__I'm putting someone on the inside."_

_ "__You should just take the place by force and then ring the information out of them. Would be a lot quicker."_

_ "__No, we're doing it my way. Understood?"_

It was Jona who accepted it first; once she capitulated the others soon fell. It just goes to show everyone accepted Jona's intelligence. If she knew it was the right thing to do then they couldn't not do the same.

_"__I'm glad you all agree, now go. Jona a minute."_

_ "__What now Aria?"_

_ "__I need you to give me something."_

_ "__What?"_

_ "__Hannah Shepard."_

_ "__Not possible, she's off world on a mission."_

_ "__I don't care, if she's not back here within three days then its game over for you. Just do it."_

_ "__Three days isn't enough time, she'll be here in five days. What do you want of her?"_

_ "__You don't need to know Jona, don't worry you'll get your usual fee. That's all."_

And so she was dismissed. Aria had got everything she wanted from the meeting everybody else was left with nothing. It gave her five days to get everything sorted for Hannah's arrival. Due to the nature of what she would be doing she needed somewhere out of the way, where no one should be able to find her with of course two sleeping areas. The accommodation wouldn't be hard to find there's always somewhere on Omega for those who wish to hide and soundproofing was never really an issue. With the amount of gunfire already going on in the streets the sound of a gun range wasn't going to cause much havoc.

Five days later and Aria was sat in her private area waiting. She was in her element issuing orders all over the place, but secretly she was nervous. Today would be the day she sent Jane away. Naturally she'd see her every now and then whilst she was in training but when she finally joined Cerberus, it would be very limited. Only being able to see her when she came in to debrief. But she would manage she always did, just because a human was being sent into a dangerous situation wasn't a reason for the Queen of Omega to worry. The moment finally came when Hannah Shepard was seen coming into Afterlife. Her Eclipse armour on show and her rifle on her back she made her way straight to Aria. When she reached the private area she was stopped by Bray, no weapons were allowed inside and everyone had to be screened for bugs. It was custom and everyone accepted. Once inside she stood before Aria and waited.

_"__Hannah Shepard your reputation precedes you. Your ruthless determination to see the job done regardless of who stands in your way, whether it be friend or foe is legendary. Known to most as the Merc Queen. How was Eden__Prime by the way? I hear it didn't go so well."_

_ "__None of your business. What do you want?"_

_ "__I have a job for you."_

_ "__Naturally."_

_ "__I trust Jona filled you in on Cerberus."_

_ "__Of course."_

_ "__Well then, what I need from you is to train someone, teach them how to fight, make sure they are battle ready. As quickly as possible."_

_ "__Who am I to teach?"_

_ "__Bray send her in."_

The door opened and in walked Jane. She turned her head up towards the couch where Aria was sitting. At Aria's command she came up to the couch and took her place at Aria's side, still oblivious to who was standing in front of her. Before she could look at who was stood, Aria gently lifted Jane's head and placed her lips upon her. Anyone who was watching could see the emotions flying between the Queen and the Bartender.

_"__This is who I want you to train. I believe you're already acquainted. Jane say hello to your teacher."_

As Jane finally looked up towards who was standing there, she had to blind several times. She couldn't place who was that was standing there, after all it had been several years since she'd seen her mother. Once the memories clicked into place, to say she was shocked would be an understatement.

"MOTHER!"


	2. Chapter 2

_"No Aria"_

_ "You can not say no to me Hannah, nobody says no to me and lives. You will do this, whether you like it or not."_

_ "I will not train my daughter just for you to send her to get killed."_

The anger emanating from their direction was increasing every second; if you were in the near vicinity you could feel the heat. For a woman who had not seen her daughter in years she was sure set on not seeing her, she may have had reasons perhaps she didn't want her to see the woman that she had become, or perhaps she just didn't care anymore. Anything could have happened over the years to make her who she was today. Regardless she was adamant that she was going to help Aria, deep down she was still a mother and didn't want to see her daughter in the same position she was. In the seething rage between them it was Jane that triggered the windows. She could read Aria and knew when to do what was needed.

_"Your daughter will not come to any harm. I will not permit it, she will be watched and protected. For extra security I wanted you to train her for the off chance that she will need it."_

_ "Why do you care so much Aria? It's not like you to go to this length for a single person."_

_ "I don't need to explain myself to you Hannah, but I see that it's the only way. Ever since your daughter has worked her she has captivated me. I have no idea why, but I've been drawn to her. I will not let anything happen to her, if something does then someone has broken the one rule." _The passion that filled those words was undeniable, for those that thought they knew Aria, would have thought it impossible, as a rule she didn't show any passion towards another creature, it was a sign of weakness. If you felt something then it could be exploited by others.

_"I don't like it but I'm going to have to do it. I need the details."_

_ "You're being set up in a warehouse in the slums. Good place to hide, deep within Blood Pack territory. So the violence will go unnoticed. You'll stay there until Jane's ready. Bray will take you there and Jane will arrive the day after tomorrow. I'll want daily updates, do not disappoint me Hannah."_

Sensing that the conversation was over Hannah turned and let Bray lead her out of the club and towards a waiting sky car, leaving Jane and Aria alone. As soon as she had gone Aria turned towards Jane and patiently waited for the uproar that was soon to happen. It had been a hard moment for Jane, her mother had been thrown in her face and told she was to train her. But more shocking was that she declined and it was only due to Aria threatening her that she accepted. She didn't know whether to be annoyed or not.

_"Why?"_

_ "Why what Jane?"_

_ "Why my mother?"_

_ "She's the only person who would be willing to do such a thing. Appealing to the better half of a mercenary is impossible unless it's got family attached to it. Which was this was, not only would she do it because she's your mother, but because she's the best."_

_ "The best."_

_ "Out of all the members of the Eclipse she is the most sufficient and most skilled. You'll be in safe hands with her Jane. She'll treat you just like any other recruit so don't expect any special treatment."_

_ "I never have. She joined the Eclipse whilst I was a teen, the last time I saw her was on my eighteenth. It's just been me for a long time. Will this help?"_

_ "More than you realise." _It was at that moment that Aria realised that she wasn't going to be able to see Jane for a long time. Of course she would go see her train every once in a while but other than that, this would be there last moment together and it was time for Aria to sleep. _"Come Jane, it's time to sleep."_

If there was one thing that Jane loved was when Aria would ask her to join her for her sleep cycle. They both went through the concealed door opposite Aria's couch and walked through to her quarters. None had seen the inside of Aria's quarters before not even her second in command. They were there out of necessity to accommodate Aria's sleep cycle, nothing more. The set up was sparse since she didn't spend much time in the room. A queen size bed protruded from the opposite wall with its red sheets bringing in the only colour. Also there was a wardrobe which held various different garments not only for Aria but for Jane as well. The final thing was a bathroom with a standalone shower bigger enough for two. Whilst Aria slept she trusted Bray to keep Omega running in her absence, for the twenty-four hours that Aria was absent. The first thing that the Aria did once they were inside was lock the door; she had the best security system in the system that not even the great Kasumi Goto could breakthrough, and believe me she had tried.

From the other side of the room came the sound of running water, clearly Jane had already reached the shower. Aria softly moved towards the shower not wanting to give Jane the satisfaction of knowing she was there. With a quick grace she shed her clothes and silently joined Jane. She stepped into the shower and wrapped her arms around the human. Her touch made something cry out in pleasure deep within her, it's like they were made for each other, and the others touch doing wonderful things to the other. So entwined were they in this moment that they lost themselves and moved towards the bed regardless of the fact that they were dripping wet. Once they were on the bed, their emotions were truly exposed. Lips met and fingers caressed…

A day later they both emerged from Aria's secret room, within that room they had whispered sweet nothings to each other; both knowing what was to come afterwards. Back in her private room, Bray was waiting for them a data pad in his hand with new information for Aria just another day on Omega. If it wasn't for the look on Brays face the day would have gotten of to a good start.

_"Aria, there's been trouble while you've been absent."_

_ "Tell me."_

_ "In front of the human?"_

_ "Hmm, what does it concern?"_

_ "Cerberus."_

_ "Tell us, she'll need to know."_

_ "They've attacked the Blood Pack, the Blue Suns and the Eclipse."_

_ "WHAT! Why would they do such a thing?" _Aria brought up her omni-tool and contacted Jona Sederis. It didn't take long for her to answer. _"Jona what the hell is going on?"_

_ "Cerberus attacked us, from what I can gather they attacked us all simultaneously. We are all cut of from outside access; they knew how we would react and countered it."_

_ "This can't be a coincidence they attacked at the same time as my sleep cycle. How they could have known about that I don't know I don't make it a topic for discussion. Have you organised any resistance with the other merc groups."_

_ "What do you think I've been trying to do for the last day? They're stubborn as hell, not wanting to work together. You need to impose again."_

_ "I'll do what I can. Bray take Jane to her mother and tell her to speed it up Cerberus have changed the game we're playing." _ As she issued her command she quickly kissed Jane before sending her of. _"I'll be in touch."_

Aria watched Jane leave with a heavy heart. She knew that after today she wouldn't be the same woman, but she had more pressing issues to sort out. The news about Cerberus was troubling, if they had the man power already to attack three merc groups all at once, who knows what they could be capable of. Jane's training needed to be quick, the sooner she could get her into the group the better. She had to organise the merc groups. Once again she activated her omni-tool and contacted all three of the merc group leaders.

_"Listen up. From what I've gathered Cerberus has attacked all three of you at once and all you're doing is floundering about, you need to work together you idiots. The sooner you do this the better chance you have of surviving the initial attacks. If you agree you'll work under me and do as I say."_

None of the leaders liked it, they had always been independent in the past. Yet it seemed that that independence would be what would destroy them. Jona knew this, out of three leaders she was already allied with Aria. The Blue Suns leader Vido Santiago was a different matter, he forcefully removed his partner and took the Blue Suns for himself. He was used to using force and only relying on those under his own banner. Anything else was foreign to him, the idea of unity with someone else just didn't exist. But he would eventually capitulate. The biggest problem would be getting the Blood Pack to obey. Garm was a typical Krogan, blood thirsty and restless. If he wasn't already hunting his prey he was on the lookout for his next quarry. If the Blue Suns fell under Aria's wing it shouldn't take much for the Blood Pack to fall as well.

_"Vido, Garm. Jona has already fallen in line, she understands the necessity of working together, now either you do the same or we'll come to a disagreement and you won't like that."_

_ "We will not just fall under your banner Aria. The Blood Pack will carry on as it always has done, we may have done things your way before, but this is different we are at war."_

_ "We agree, if the Eclipse want to place themselves under you then so be it, but the Blue Suns will remain indifferent."_

_ "Fools, do you not understand what you have done in your ignorance. If you cannot join together for this one moment, then surely Cerberus will win. They have the bigger numbers and clearly have better intel than you all."_

_ "Our word is final Aria." _With that the Blue Suns and the Blood Pack became the enemy as well. Anything they would do could compromise Aria's plans, they needed to be put down as well. _"Jona, we have a big problem."_

_ "Tell me about it. I take it you realise that this is just going to complicate things."_

_ "I do. I'll get my guard together we're going to punch through the Cerberus lines and get you out of there."_

_ "I can't wait."_

Aria had to act quickly if she was to liberate the Eclipse from their base. She brought Bray up on her omni-tool and quickly activated the link.

_"Bray, where are you?"_

_ "On the way back."_

_ "Double time it, we need to move."_

Upon hearing the urgency in her voice Bray decided to pick up the pace making it back to Afterlife in record time. He entered Aria's booth and waited. When she saw that he had entered she stood and led him downstairs where every guard she had was gearing up. Her guard consisted of humans, batarians, asari, turians and vorcha, there was also a quarian amongst them. When she arrived she looked out towards them and gave them their mission.

_"As some of you may be aware there's a new mercenary group on Omega, they call themselves Cerberus. They've been here for all of a day and they are already causing trouble. They've attacked the Eclipse, Blue Suns and Blood Pack, this we cannot have. Therefore we are going to break the siege on the Eclipse base and bring them back here. No one would dare attack my domain."_

If they were surprised by the news then they didn't show it, but with the rate that rumours travelled round they had all most likely heard most of it already. If that didn't surprise them then the fact that Aria went to the gun rack and picked up a shotgun definitely did. No one expected Aria to fight with them, they'd always seen her giving the orders from the safety of her booth.

_"Nobody fucks with Aria."_

With those words the guards cheered and followed her to the waiting transports. The transports took them to the rendezvous point, a square behind the Cerberus lines. Once everyone was ready they moved down the roads towards the Eclipse base. The scouts moving forward cloaks engaged, they would move forward and report back anything important, they were followed by the simple soldier's heavy weapons and assault rifles galore. Behind them marched the biotics with the blue energy fluctuating around them. It wasn't subtle but then again it wasn't supposed to be, if everything went to plan the scouts will have disabled any sentries and turrets barring the way ahead therefore making it more of a mass murder than a straight up fire fight. Aria led her troops to the Cerberus lines.

_"Aria, we've managed to secure a passage through the Cerberus lines. Grizz will be waiting for you to guide you through."_

Aria didn't need to reply, she knew that as soon as he had given his message he would have dropped the channel. It was protocol each scout had one radio transmission, as soon as they had said what they needed to they ended the communication and moved on. It didn't take them long to find Grizz, the Turian was stood half in shadows waiting for them to arrive. He didn't say anything as he took the lead, leading them through alleys towards the gap they had managed to create. In fact all it was was a gap in the wall of a factory of some sorts. Behind the wall was the body of a Cerberus soldier in his white and gold armour. Not the most practical of armours for night time battles, you'd be able to spot them a mile away. Aria set up shop within the factory and had all her scouts report back.

_"What's the situation out there?"_

_ "Cerberus have got the entire perimeter closed of. The Eclipse base is the building opposite. We've found all the Cerberus strong points, if we cut these three off then we can reach the Eclipse."_

_ "Good, send Grizz to the Eclipse base and tell them to be ready. When the times right she'll know when to leave. Have Grizz lead them back here. As for the three strong points I want two biotics and an engineer to sneak into their camps and set up biotic bombs, once all three bombs have been placed we'll set them of. They won't expect it."_

_ "Of course, what about the rest of the men?"_

_ "When the bombs explode half of the men will head straight to the Eclipse base and provide any back up necessary, the other half will stay here. I'll lead the men heading to the Eclipse base. Let's move."_

On her command the scouts left leading the squads to the three strong points, Grizz also stalked of towards the Eclipse base. The only thing left for everyone else to do was wait. From the map that the scouts had used the three strong points were a fair trek but they were vital for the Cerberus attack. Each one held the garrison for the rest of the minor strategic positions, upon removing these three points not only would the main garrisons be defeated but also any other resistance would be delayed. The waiting was painful, no one likes waiting and Aria wouldn't normally play this game. The squads returned several hours later reporting little problems but nothing major. Aria gave the order to ignite the bombs and rushed across the plaza to the Eclipse base. In the distance the sounds of explosions could be heard, the sky was alive and dancing with flames. Aria's men made the dash to the Eclipse base with seconds, when they reached the entrance it was pushed open by Grizz who started to lead them out, Jona Sederis directly behind him. When the Eclipse were safely across the road Aria's men retreated back to the safety of the warehouse. From there they made their way back towards the transports, it wasn't until they had the transports in sight that they were attacked.

From the various alley ways adjoining the street Cerberus troopers came piling out. They quickly surrounded Aria and the Eclipse and held them their. They're white and gold armour looking battle worn but somehow still shining. The ones who weren't wearing helmets looked smug; they had managed to capture the great Aria T'Loak without even breaking a sweat. Oh how wrong they were. Unbeknownst to them they hadn't captured all of Aria's men. Before they left the safety of the warehouse they had used, she had sent half of her men to shadow the main group, this was the reason for the smirk on Aria's face. She gave the prearranged signal and her shadow force open fired on the Cerberus soldiers. Biotics and bullets want flying, most of them being sent towards Cerberus. It was a quick battle due to the ambush Aria had set and it left the taste of victory in her mouth. From here on they double timed it to the transports. After reaching them they moved out back towards Afterlife.

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**A/N Got to say that this is not how I envisioned this chapter going. In my mind I knew where I wanted it to go and this wasn't it. The next chapter should be where I was originally intending to go. The next chapter will be all about Shepard. Hopefully.**


	3. Chapter 3

It had to be said that Jane Shepard didn't usually shy away from anything Aria asked her to do but this was completely different. She had accepted it at first but it all changed when her mother was introduced. She hadn't seen her for eight years and in those eight years she had changed. Before she joined up with the Eclipse she cared, she still showed that every time she visited but since she stopped something had changed. There was no emotion now not even a shadow of her former self. It scarred Jane, she was glad to see her mother but not this way.

Bray had only stayed around long enough to give Hannah a message in private as soon as this was delivered he had gone, apparently Aria had needed his help with something as soon as possible. This meant that Hannah had started the training straight away.

_"__Bray has given me an update and this means that your training starts now."_

_ "__What update?"_

_ "__I suppose you need to know. Cerberus have attacked all three merc groups at once. Aria has set out to help my sisters. Thus the need to bring your training forward. This will not be easy on you Jane, the toughest Eclipse associate has been known to drop out of training and you're going to have to do everything quicker."_

_ "__When do we start?"_

_ "__Right now basic combat."_

Basic combat consisted of hand to hand fighting. They started by Hannah taking Jane through the basic steps of the Eclipse routine. It was fairly straight forward and ended up with Jane dripping with sweat. But Hannah wouldn't relent, she moved her onward to more intricate routines. She pushed her harder and harder every time she faltered she picked her back up and made her start all over again. By the end of the first day Jane was absolutely knackered, it took every ounce of strength left for her to get to the room assigned her. As soon as she hit the bed she was under. She was soon fast asleep and dead to the world, even the dream she was currently having wasn't able to wake her. In her dream she was back on Omega, working behind the bar of Afterlife, surrounded by her friends but more importantly Aria. They were able to show they're true feelings for in the dream Omega wasn't the cruel and unlawful place that it was in reality. But this dream quickly turned rancid within seconds Afterlife was under attack, by thousands of two headed dogs. The guards weren't quick enough and protecting the guests, it didn't take long for the guards to be over run. Once the guards were finished the dogs turned their attention to the guests. The frightened guests quickly turned to run in a blind panic, out of any exits they could find or create. Whilst the guests were running, Aria had grabbed hold of Jane and started to run to her safe room. With Jane directly behind her she opened the door and they both stepped, the magnetic seal quickly closing behind them leaving them safe from harm. As soon as the door had sealed Jane heard the sound of a gun being primed, turning round she saw that the man that she had seen two days earlier placing a gun against Aria's head. His name she didn't know and at that moment it didn't matter, the only thing that mattered was Aria. A grin appeared upon the man's face and he fired, Aria slowly slipped to the floor and the gun was turned on her. When the final shot was fired Jane awoke with a loud scream.

Hannah had been there at the first sign of trouble. Even in the world of mercenaries a piercing scream wasn't a good sign and she was trained to react to such things. With rifle in hand she ran towards the location of the scream, she kicked the door open and moved into the room. Once she'd entered the room she pinpointed the location of the screaming to find that it was Jane, screaming and thrashing about on the bed. The maternal instinct that she thought lost long ago kicked in and she was by her daughter's side calming her down. Just holding her in her arms and telling her calming words, it worked and Jane was soon back to a dead sleep. She stayed a moment longer by Jane's side making sure everything was okay and then she departed.

Jane woke up in the morning feel rejuvenated, she remembered the dream from last night and it made her shudder every time she remembered Aria's fate. She made her way down to what was designated the kitchen and to her first meal of the day. Stood waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs was Hannah, arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

_"__What time do you call this?"_

_ "__Breakfast time."_

_ "__Wrong, you do not get breakfast until after your first training of the day. Now get moving."_

The first training of the day consisted of running, a nice long run through the slums of Omega. Okay maybe nice isn't the right description. From the 'house' they moved further into the depths of the slums, there were people begging with no home to go to, the shops were selling at extortionate prices and bodies littered the floors where anger had broken out. Omega's slums were notorious once in you never tended to leave without at least one broken appendage. Yet the running continued, they had reached the halfway point, Jane was tired but she wasn't willing to show it, not to her mother anyway. Hannah started to direct Jane back towards their lodgings and tried not to be impressed by the stamina Jane was showing. They'd been gone for over an hour running through Omega, not even the most impressive Eclipse recruit could go this long. Normally by this point they would have either turned back or had a short respite, but not with Jane. She just carried on following the directions that Hannah gave her. When the long slog finally ended Jane collapsed into a heap on the floor.

_"__Get up Jane. Don't give me that whole I'm absolutely knackered routine, I've seen it before. Hell I've even done it before, now get up. It's time for breakfast."_

With that Hannah left Jane to herself, she was right of course she wasn't as tired as she looked. You didn't keep the body she had by doing no exercise at all. She was used to running, she did ran every morning before her shift at Afterlife. This was by far the furthest she'd ever run, so she was of course feeling something. A little ache here and there, but that's about it and of course the promise of food is always more tempting than lying on the floor. With the temptation of breakfast wafting through from the kitchen she finally got up and went to see what was cooking.

_"__Took you long enough."_

_ "__Well you were right; I wasn't nearly as tired as I was playing. Breakfast wins the day. What's the plan for today then?"_

_ "__I'll tell you that when you tell me about you dream last night."_

_ "__How did you know?"_

_ "__Call it an educated guess."_

_ "__Hmmph. I suppose your going to insist?"_

_ "__I am."_

_ "__Well then…" _Jane then divulged every part of her dream from the absolute boring to the exciting, from the love to the fear. The process of telling someone everything was very therapeutic to Jane, having never had anyone to tell her dreams to, it was a release. The more she told her mother the better she felt, when it came to the conclusion of her dream she stopped and let everything sink in.

_"__Your dream is obviously your imagination playing on your fears. The two handed dogs were Cerberus the man was their leader. Clearly Aria holds a special place within your heart hence the danger she was in. You need to let your fears and doubts go, or else they'll continue to eat you up, leaving your defences low. Now eat up you've got a long day ahead of you."_

She was right of course, the day that she had planned for Jane was long and arduous. More hand to hand combat training followed by a trip to the armoury. The trip to the armoury gave Jane a new wardrobe. Her mother sized her up and fitted her armour, with a few adjustments from Jane she was fitted with a light weight armour. Good for movement and would give basic protection, she then upgraded Jane's omni-tool.

_"__Now Jane, your omni-tool is basic, I'm going to transfer some of the protection that I've installed on mine. A sub routine that will enhance your shields for a short period of time, an omni-blade and omni-shield. You'll be trained to use these before you leave."_

_ "__Thanks."_

_ "__One more task, it's time to choose a weapon."_

Hannah led Jane over to a table with five different weapons on display. On the table there was a M-15 Vindicator rifle, a M-23 Katana shotgun, a M-97 Viper sniper rifle, a M-9 Tempest submachine gun and a M-6 Carnifex heavy pistol. The temptation to just pick the biggest looking gun overwhelmed Jane. She had been around Aria enough to know a little bit about guns but not enough as to take the first plunge. Hannah saw the confusion on Jane's face and took the lead once again.

_"__You'll try each weapon becoming proficient in each. But ultimately you will always have one weapon that you find easier to handle. Once you've completed your training you'll get to keep the M-6 Carnifex and one other weapon. Which would you like to try first?"_

_ "__Since I'm going to be given the M-6 Carnifex I might as well get used to it first before I make any decisions on the others."_

_ "__Good idea, pick it up and we'll start your training."_

Which is exactly what they did for the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon. With each passing hour Jane's proficiency with the weapon increased. Hannah was astonished not even she had picked up the training this quick, within a short time she will have finished the training, having given Jane everything that she possibly could. Once Hannah was satisfied with Jane's proficiency with the weapon they moved away from weapons and went for another run. The route was the same as before but now through the busier streets, having to dodge the people of Omega making the work out more strenuous. Once they arrived back at the lodgings there was no fake tiredness this time, Jane just strode straight in and went straight to the kitchen to prepare their final meal of the day. Nothing else happened that night in fact Jane was starting to fail, after the day she had had her willpower was drained. After the meal she excused herself and went to straight to her room and fell asleep.

Jane's sleep was once again interrupted, with just one small difference. It started out exactly as it did before. She was of duty and with friends and Aria at Afterlife. There was no need to hide the relationship that had clearly been growing between the two and everyone accepted them for what they were. The attack came just as before two headed dogs came bounding into the club and immediately attacked the guards, with the guards quickly defeated they turned on the crowd. At this point blind panic erupted around them innocents were being killed and they needed to get out. That was when everything changed, this time Jane jumped behind the bar and pulled out a pistol, she quickly took aim at the two headed dogs and quickly defeated a few of them, but for everyone she removed two more would replace them. It was a hopeless battle, the dream then moved forwards and Aria grabbed hold of Jane's hand and pulled her into the safety of her private room. Once again it played out exactly the same, as soon as the door was locked a man appeared and pulled a pistol out and aimed at Aria. This time Jane reacted with the pistol still in her hands she quickly pulled it up and fired at the man's exposed face. Unfortunately the man was too quick for Jane and he pulled Aria into the line of fire. The bullet that was intended for the man soon became embedded in Aria's neck.

Once again Hannah was disturbed by more screaming. This time she knew exactly where it was coming from, even though she knew this she still dashed towards Jane's room. As she reached the screaming just grew and grew, her daughter definitely needed to sort her problems out, they would soon become a liability if they weren't seen to, Hannah knew this. If this was how she was now as soon as she fell asleep in the field and started screaming she would be killed without a moments hesitation. Just like the night before Hannah sat on the bed and calmed Jane down. This time going further and fully waking her up, she needed to talk about it as soon as possible and they needed to find away out. The sooner the better.

_"__Jane wake up, it's just a dream."_

As Jane opened her eyes you could see the fury and hurt in them. Still trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't. In her mind she had seen Aria die yet in front of her was her mother, she didn't know which was real and which was the dream. In the end she gave into the real world and decided that Aria couldn't be dead.

_"__Mom, what's going on?"_

_ "__You were having a bad dream. Was it the same as last night?"_

_ "__No, it was different. This time I had a gun, I defended us and killed some of the beasts. But we still ended up in the private room and Aria died by my hands. I fired at the man but he grabbed Aria and moved her in front of the bullet. I killed her, I killed Aria."_

With those last words Jane broke down. The tears were coming automatically and there was nothing she could do about it, the more she tried to fight them the more they came. She wanted the comfort of her mothers arms, just to be held like she was a child it wasn't going to happen but its exactly what she needed in that moment. As it happened Hannah was in her own personal turmoil. She had lost all those motherly instincts years ago but at the sight of her only child crying they came back she knew what her daughter needed but the mercenary in her didn't want to help out. She was stuck in perpetual motion, half of her moving forward to envelop her daughter in her arms whilst the other half was happy watching the turmoil of others. Eventually the maternal side broke through and she quickly enveloped her daughter in her arms. As soon as her arms were around her she quietened. Jane never really expected her to do this but it was what she needed, the love of another in order to quieten the demons resting on her breasts. It took her awhile but she finally felt at peace, it was then that her mother spoke.

_"__Jane we need to get these dreams sorted. They're only going to cause harm in the future. If every danger that prop up against Aria is going to do this to you then you're not going to be much help to her. I'll arrange something for tomorrow where you should eventually be able to put these dreams to rest. Get some sleep, you'll need it tomorrow."_

_ "__I'll try. I don't want the dreams to come back though."_

_ "__Tonight they won't do. Just remember that I'll be here as soon as you need me if they do. Good night Jane."_

_ "__Night mom."_

As soon as she was sure that Jane had finally drifted back of to sleep she left the confines of Jane's room and went to make a quick call. She found the contact on her omni-tool and quickly left the comm. Channel work. Within a few seconds the contact answered.

_"__You're going to need to pay a visit tomorrow."_

_ "__So soon?"_

_ "__Yes, there are complications. Reoccurring dreams that need removing, you're the only person who'll be able to do it."_

_ "__The usual fee."_

_ "__If it works you'll get double. I'm on Omega how long will it take you to arrive?"_

_ "__I can be there for tomorrow evening, will that be suitable?"_

_ "__Yes, I'll see you tomorrow."_

Hannah ended the conversation as quickly as it had begun and made her way back to Jane's room. She looked in on her and noted she was still fast asleep, before turning in herself.

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**A/N This is what I had in mind for the previous chapter, I think it definitely works better this way, it seems to give more meaning to the whole training. With a mysterious character coming into it as well. New chapter coming soon.**


End file.
